Mirror
by Kasan Soulblade
Summary: AnnaKratos flashfic, though it also deals with Issia, a DES OC.


Mirror

_A/N: Kinda a Kranna fic, this is a one-shot flashfic. This is just an attempt to reconcile the somewhat wild Anna from "Is Cupid Green", to the more mature adult in "Double Edged Sword" as well as an attempt to clean out my writing folder. BTW my computer access will more or less be cut off after April 12. I've no clue as to when I'll get it back as the local library is going under some reconstruction. _

"Well?" Sea hued eyes were wide in supposed innocence as the fisherman's wife leaned across the table to hear the answer to her question.

Mentally checking a sigh, Anna cast her gaze around the room. Seeing that none of the children or men were on hand, she considered it safe to attempt to abandon the conversations current vein.

"I… I don't know. It was a lot of things I guess."

At that lame evasion Issia snorted, and set her hands on her wide hips. "Anna Ruian, for th' love of th' Goddess, I am not buying tha' lo' of rottin' fish."

"I'm not going to gush over him." Anna snapped at her friend, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Issia gave her a long suffering look and offered an exasperated sigh. To that, Anna folded, if only a little. "He'll hear about it. You'll tell Syt, and Syt will tell him…"

"An' why'd he care?" Issia offered with a warm smile. "Men lik' I' when their women talk 'bout 'em."

Anna bit her tongue at that. She knew Kratos, and while he wouldn't say anything to contradict Issia she knew that he _would_ mind. He didn't like it when people talked –much less gushed- about him. Paranoia, she'd tease him, and he would smile and say in all probability that yes, he was. The war had made him that way… The war, and cruxis' _tender_ mercies had stripped away most of his humanity, had made it so that he had built walls around his soul. Those walls coupled with his fear had made it so that he had cut off the wants and needs of his soul. Warped, twisted by his hate and fear, he had degenerated into his Seraph state so far that he could barely stand human contact.

That was how he had been when they had met, and time and patience on both their parts had broken down those walls.

Well, time, patience, and a few other things, still…

At her chuckle Issia lifted an eyebrow and clenched her hands –still perched on her hips- into fists. The fisherwoman's poise was an inaccurate representation of Kratos' "I'm waiting" pose, and seeing it Anna laughed.

"You can't threaten me, Miss Syt."

"Oh really?"

Anan couldn't help herself, she laughed harder. After a few moments Issia dropped out of the pose and laughed along with her. When she was fit to speak, Anna grinned at her young friend and shook her head.

"I bet all you want is some long romantic tale to tell to everyone in town. Something about a swordsman sweeping me off my feet, spiriting me away from my protesting family, and deciding the life of the sword wasn't a suitable one for his child so he decided altruistically to settle here and make a humble life for the three of us."

"Somethin' lik' that." Issia admitted.

"Sorry to disappoint." Anna said with a laugh. "But that's not how it happened. If you want, you can tell whoever you want that story, it would give Ruian a laugh if nothing else."

"Anna!" Issia sounded hurt as she reached for her. Anna allowed Issia to grasp her arm, to stay her. "You're gunna leave me, wi' some half true story..."

"His eyes."

The fisherwoman blinked then realized what Anna was saying. And despite the saying that understanding illuminated the path to knowledge Issia was more confused by Anna's honest answer than she had been by the brunette's evasiveness.

"They were like mirrors, when we first met." Anna admitted with a bitter twisting of her lips. "I was a child, a spoiled one at that, and he was the adult. That's what I saw, he never said it, but that's what I saw... and I didn't like it. So I changed, and he changed right along with me. And that," Anna said, quietly twisting her arm so Issia was forced to let go. "is how we fell in love."


End file.
